


He's Not A Dork

by jxnghoseok (orphan_account)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-19
Updated: 2015-06-19
Packaged: 2018-04-05 02:35:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4162398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/jxnghoseok
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story about Chanyeol brining his new boyfriend home to meet his family</p>
            </blockquote>





	He's Not A Dork

**Author's Note:**

> this is all because of that one episode of roommate when baek came to visit

“How could you of all people have a boyfriend?” Kris asked.

Chanyeol shrugged his shoulder, staring into his bowl of Cheerios. “Why do you sound so surprised?”

“Because look at you!” Kris practically shouted, motioning to Chanyeol’s too tall and too lanky body. “You’re Chanyeol. You are the walking, living, breathing definition of awkward and dorky.”

“I’m no more awkward and dorky than you and you have a boyfriend.”

“Oh please,” Kris flicked his fringe back from his forehead, the dyed blond hair falling almost perfectly into place, Chanyeol cursed because with that one move Kris proved he was much smoother and cooler than his younger brother. “I bet he is as dorky as you are. Is he another music freak? Does he stay up all night long watching anime?”

“He isn’t dorky.” Chanyeol had to fight the blush that was threatening to crawl up his neck. It wasn’t Kris’s teasing, he had taken much worse, that was making him so uncomfortable it was the thought of his entire family knowing that the reasons he stayed out until the wee hours of the night was because there was a boy. A boy who for whatever reason enjoyed being around Chanyeol and would hold his hand and kiss him under the stars as they wandered around the empty city streets.

“Oh he is! He is just as dorky as you and Sehun isn’t he!” Kris was almost giggling with glee.

“He is not! He is one of the coolest guys at school.”

Kris hummed, his eyebrows shooting into his hairline.

“You know what you can’t say anything, what does Tao actually do? Does he actually have a job or does he just stare in the mirror all day and sweet talk himself?”

Chanyeol had exactly one second to launch himself out of the kitchen, abandoning the bowl of half-eaten Cheerios, as Kris tore after Chanyeol, “He has a job! He is going to be a model!” Kris shouted as he chased the younger boy through the house, both boys skidding around furniture.

“Ya, ya,” Chanyeol tossed over his shoulder as he swung his back pack over his shoulder and grabbed his guitar, safely tucked into the black case that Chanyeol had covered in stickers, before bolting from the house to evade a pissed off Kris.

Kris stood in the doorway, arms crossed over his bare chest. “And don’t pretend like you don’t check out Tao every single time he comes over!” he shouted.

Chanyeol chuckled, waving his hand in the air over his head as he continued to walk down the street to the bus stop. He slid his large headphones over his ears, turning the volume up as high as it would go.

**** 

Chanyeol saw him before he saw anyone else, the small boy with the dark hair, and creamy skin. He stood with his friends, the boys who Chanyeol had admired from afar for years, while he also tried to avoid because they were just so much better than him. Chanyeol watched as Jongin leaned back against the railing, one foot on each step as he casually talked to the boys who were gathered around him. If Chanyeol had tried to do that he would have slipped and fallen down the steps, or leaned too far back and toppled over the railing, landing in the bushes.

“You aren’t listening to a word I am saying are you?” Sehun said, poking one of his fingers into Chanyeol’s side, making the taller boy squeak and wriggle away from Sehun’s reach.

“I’m sorry,” Chanyeol said, still unable to drag his eyes away from him.

“Stop staring,” Sehun said. “It’s creepy.”

“Almost as creepy as how much you stare at Luhan,”

Sehun gaped at him for a moment, mouth opening and closing a few times as he tried to find the words that would refute Chanyeol, except both boys knew that Chanyeol was right. “You know what you can find someone else to sit with on the bus tomorrow morning.”

Chanyeol hummed, eyes scanning over the petite frame. No matter how many times Chanyeol saw him in the same uniform it still struck him how the uniforms seemed to be made for him.

“Just go.” Sehun said, pointing towards the group of boys on the stairs. Chanyeol turned to Sehun, looking at him for the first time since they entered campus. “I’ll be fine. I’m going to go and find Luhan and Suho.”

Chanyeol nodded once before breaking away from Sehun. Slowly he walked toward the group, his stomach began to turn over inside him. It didn’t matter how many times Chanyeol made the walk over to the group of boys at the stairs, his stomach still flipped and flopped, his hands became clammy and his mouth felt like it was full of cotton balls. He hated that he was rendered into a blubbering mess around them, but his brain, which worked at half speed on a good day, completely shut down when he was around him.

Jongin was the first to see Chanyeol approaching. It wasn’t hard to see the giant among the herd of students, he easily stood a head above them, and his guitar always made people give him an extra wide berth.

Chanyeol stepped up to the stairs, toes bumping into the bottom stair. The whole group turned to look at Chanyeol, each offering various stages of friendly smiles. The least friendly coming from Kyungsoo, although Chanyeol didn’t think he liked many people so he tried not to take it personally, to Jongdae who grinned widely and hopped down to clap Chanyeol on the back.

“Hey,” Chanyeol smiled awkwardly, still unsure how to talk to these people.

“You really found yourself an intelligent boyfriend Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo muttered, casting a cool glance down at Chanyeol’s wrinkled and probably dirty school uniform.

Baekhyun was grinning from ear to ear as he looked at Chanyeol. “He’s a genius.” He said, skipping down the stairs to throw his arms around Chanyeol’s neck, causing the taller boy to rock back before regaining his balance and letting his free hand settle around Baekhyun’s waist, cheeks flaming red as Chanyeol was very aware of all the eyes that were watching them.

“Hey,” Chanyeol said again, unable to keep the smile off his face as he looked down into Baekhyun’s dark eyes.

“Hi.” Baekhyun grinned, pulling away and lacing his fingers with Chanyeol, dragging him up the stairs, calling bye to his friends over his shoulder. Chanyeol’s toe caught on the second last step and he lurched forward, quickly regaining his balance before he face planted onto the concrete (not that it would be the first time).

Once they were safely inside the school Baekhyun stopped, pulling the taller boy to the wall and stretching onto his tip toes to place a kiss onto Chanyeol’s dry and chapped lips. It still shocked Chanyeol whenever Baekhyun would kiss him in public, or hold his hand in the halls, or sit down with him and Sehun during lunch. Some part of Chanyeol was very aware of the social status difference between the two boys, and that part kept screaming that Chanyeol was going to embarrass Baekhyun too much.

“Want to go put that away?” Baekhyun asked, pointing to Chanyeol’s guitar.

“Ya.”

Baekhyun’s hand was warm and small in Chanyeol’s, his fingers easily wrapping around the small and delicate fingers, Chanyeol’s large palms engulfing Baekhyun’s. Both boys walked through the halls together, still earing looks from others as they walked by.

Chanyeol opened the music room door and held it open for Baekhyun, who muttered a thanks and hid his face from Chanyeol, but was that a blush in his cheeks? Baekhyun stood in the center of the room, the only room in the school that he felt so out of place in, the only room in the entire school that Chanyeol was in his element, while Chanyeol put his guitar on the stand in the back corner.

“How was your night last night?” Baekhyun asked, walking a small circle around the instruments that decorated the walls. 

“Not bad. Kris used up the rest of my shampoo this morning though.” Chanyeol was pouting as he fiddled with the case, making sure it stood straight and that his baby wouldn’t fall over in his absence. “Yours?”

“Boring. My mom has decided that she wants to redecorate the house again. If she changes the wall color one more time I am going to kill her I swear.” Baekhyun ground out the last words. “And she wants to meet you.”

“Me?” Chanyeol almost choked on spit. Hands fumbling and pushing his guitar almost off the stand.

“Ya you. Is it crazy that she wants to meet my boyfriend?”

“No I guess not but,” Chanyeol’s heart rate had sped up to an alarming rate. It could have been because Baekhyun had called him his boyfriend, or the fear of meeting Baekhyun’s parents.

“It’s not a big deal. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“No!” Chanyeol said quickly, rushing to Baekhyun’s side. “It’s not that. I just don’t know what to do.” Baekhyun grinned, he let Chanyeol pull him into his chest.

“It’s easy. Just smile compliment her a few times and you are good.”

Chanyeol nodded. “You know I think Sehun told Kris about you. He doesn’t believe you are real. He think I am making the whole thing up.”

Baekhyun laughed, nuzzling into Chanyeol’s chest for a moment. “Well then I should meet him. Prove that I am in fact very real.”

Chanyeol smiled. “Ya maybe.”

Baekhyun nodded, once again pressing his lips to Chanyeol’s. They didn’t do much more before they were interrupted by the bell, signaling the start of class. Baekhyun pulled out of Chanyeol’s arms and disappeared through the door with a backward glance and wink that made Chanyeol swallow his tongue.

****

“Hey Mom guess what,” Kris said that night at dinner. It was one of the rare nights where Chanyeol was there for dinner.

“What?” She asked around a mouthful of food.

“Channie has a boyfriend.”

Chanyeol nearly choked on the sip of water he was taking as his parents stared at him. Chanyeol flushed three shades of red. “Really?” His dad asked, sounding generally surprised.

Chanyeol could only nod, eyes trained on the table in front of him.

“What’s his name?”

“Baekhyun.” He mumbled.

“Where did you meet him?”

“Dance club.” At this Kris broke out of laughter, apparently thinking Chanyeol in a dance club was the funniest thing he had ever heard.

“You joined the dance club!?”

“Shut up.” Chanyeol growled. Kris had every reason to be laughing at Chanyeol, he was a horrible dancer. He had two left feet, a body that refused to bend or move fluidly, and the inability to count beats and move at the same time. Sehun had once described Chanyeol’s dancing as a fish that flops around on land moments before it dies.

But Baekhyun was in the dance club and Chanyeol had been admiring him from afar for years and had decided that it was time to make a move, so with one more swig of his energy drink he had barged into the dance room, said he wanted to join and then in his excitement tripped on his way to join the small group of students sitting on the floor. Baekhyun had been one of them, and his eyes had lingered a little longer on Chanyeol, although that could be because he showed up to dance practice in skinny jeans and a hoodie.

“Is he the one who has been giving you extra dance lessons?” his mother asked.

“He’s giving you extra lessons?” Kris was still howling, voice getting louder and louder. “He sees you dance and he still wants to date you?”

“Would you knock it off?” Chanyeol snapped. Kris stopped laughing, but couldn’t wipe the grin off his face. “Yes he is the one giving me extra lessons.”

It hadn’t taken long for the club to see how horrible Chanyeol was, they only had to start dancing and Chanyeol was blundering around the room, knocking into people and always at least one step behind. Jongin had almost kicked him out of the club, and they were supposed to take any person who wanted to dance, but Baekhyun had stepped up and said he would help Chanyeol.

So it became routine that after practice Chanyeol and Baekhyun would stay in the studio, music blaring, bass shaking the floor, and show Chanyeol the steps excruciatingly slow. It took weeks but slowly Chanyeol began to learn the dance, his body slowly starting to move a little bit better each time.

Baekhyun would walk out with Chanyeol, the sun having set hours ago, the streets almost completely empty. Sometimes they would go to the convenience store on the corner and pick up some food, eating it in the window or walking down the street a little more to a park. Other times they would walk straight to the bus stop, when both of their bodies ached too much that even walking was too much work. Those night Baekhyun would lean against Chanyeol, groaning about how tired he is.

Somewhere between sweaty dance practices and late night bus rides Chanyeol had grown on Baekhyun. To the point where one day as Baekhyun’s bus pulled up to the stop Baekhyun bent down and placed a quick kiss on Chanyeol’s lips. Chanyeol had sat there, watching Baekhyun through wide eyes as he climbed into the bus, waving to Chanyeol and shouting “I’ll see you tomorrow!” before the bus pulled away.

After that Baekhyun kissed Chanyeol any chance he got, and Chanyeol found more and more reasons to put off going home, sometimes riding the bus with Baekhyun, ending up in an entirely new area of the city and adding another half hour to his commute home, but it was worth it when Baekhyun would grab Chanyeol and tug him down, kissing the air out of Chanyeol’s lungs and disappearing into the house while his head was still spinning.

“Bring him over this weekend. He can stay for dinner.” Chanyeol’s mother said.

Chanyeol groaned. “He doesn’t want to do that.”

“Oh come on Chanyeol. I need to meet him before I can make any judgments. Just ask him at least.”

“Fine.” Chanyeol huffed, Kris still chuckling in the background.

Chanyeol had texted Baekhyun after dinner, telling him about the dinner invite. Baekhyun had agreed a minute later, saying how much he would love it. Chanyeol groaned so loudly that Kris banged on the wall, asking him if he was masturbating to the thought of Baekhyun.

Chanyeol decided he wanted to suffocate himself.

****   

Chanyeol had always loved the weekends, he liked not having to go to school and to have the ability to spend the entire day with his instruments if he wanted. He liked the freedom, and the minimal obligations he faced. But this weekend was different. He was dreading it.

He wanted Thursday and Friday to last as long as possible so he wouldn’t have to face the torture of Baekhyun meeting his family. “How bad could it be?” Sehun asked Chanyeol Friday night as they played video games in Chanyeol’s room.

Chanyeol just shot Sehun a glare. It was going to be horrible. Especially with Kris home from university. Chanyeol’s mother on the other hand thought it was going to be amazing. She fretted around the house all day Saturday, asking Chanyeol what Baekhyun liked, if he had any allergies, “Mom,” Chanyeol said after asking yet another question about Baekhyun’s eating habits. “We only ever go to the convenience store to eat. I can tell you what kind of chips and what kind of juice he likes but other than that I have no idea.”

Chanyeol wanted nothing more than for Kris to go out, but the older boy refused to leave the house, he sat by Chanyeol’s side, teasing him the entire day. By the time five o’clock rolled around Chanyeol was stressed out, his hair was now sticking up all over the place because he had been running his fingers through it so much. It was five minutes after five when the doorbell rang, the entire house froze. Kris was grinning so widely, 100% sure that the boy who was about to walk was as big of a geek as Chanyeol.

Chanyeol shot up from the couch, grabbed a snapback and shoved it on his head before running to the door. Baekhyun was standing there, dressed in tight dark jeans and a white shirt that hugged his frame so perfectly that Chanyeol had to remind himself to breathe. Rarely had Chanyeol seen Baekhyun out of his school uniform or track pants and t-shirt he wore to dance practice. Seeing him now in everyday clothes was a shock to Chanyeol’s system.

“Hey,” Baekhyun smiled up at him.

Chanyeol grinned. “Hey,” he wasn’t sure what to do, every part of him wanted to leap forward into Baekhyun’s arms and kiss him but Chanyeol knew that if he turned around he would fine his entire family peeking around the wall trying to get a look at Baekhyun, so he stood still, hands thrust deep in his pockets.

They stood there for a moment, neither sure what to say or how to act, until Kris called “Well are you going to stand there all night or are you going to let the poor guy in?”

Chanyeol felt his face already heating up as he stepped aside, holding the door wide for Baekhyun. In the two seconds it took for Baekhyun to walk into the house and begin kicking off his shoes, Chanyeol’s entire family had materialized in front of them.

His mother was grinning widely, father was eyeing Baekhyun up and down. And Kris stood there with his mouth hanging slightly open, a look of pure astonishment on his face. Chanyeol grinned.

“Mom, Dad,” Chanyeol motioned to both his parents. “This is Baekhyun. And that idiot with his mouth open is Kris.”

Baekhyun nodded to each person, offering a small shy hello. Kris snapped his mouth shut and glared at Chanyeol. The small herd moved into the living room, his parents leaving enough room for both Baekhyun and Chanyeol to sit on the couch, with both of them on either side of him.

For a moment they all sat there awkwardly. Nobody knew what to say, when Kris had brought all his boyfriends over they had easily and naturally talked but now there was just silence, the only sound was the furnace kicking on and spreading warm air into the house. 

Baekhyun was eyeing Chanyeol, trying to catch his eye. Chanyeol was doing everything not to look at Baekhyun. “Chanyeol sweetie,” his mother said. Chanyeol cringed at the pet name but nodded at her anyways. “How about you give Baekhyun a tour of the house before dinner.” Chanyeol nodded, pushing himself up off the couch.

“I hope you don’t mind but I invited Tao over tonight as well.” Chanyeol really had to work to stop from groaning loudly.

When they had left the stuffy and awkward living room Baekhyun slipped his hand into Chanyeol’s. “They seem nice,” he said.

“If we move quickly we can sneak out of my window. It’s a bit of a drop, from the second floor actually but just bend your knees as you land and you should be fine.” Chanyeol was practically dragging the smaller boy up the stairs, away from the people he unfortunately called his family.

Baekhyun laughed, “It isn’t that bad.”

“Oh lord just wait until Tao gets here dear lord. We need to move right now.”

“Who’s Tao?”

“My brother’s boyfriend. He is good looking but my lord that boy is something else. We need to leave while we still can.”

Chanyeol pushed his way into his bedroom, striding across the room to yank open the window and leaning over slightly. He had fallen out of the window a few years ago, he had obviously lived and only suffered a few scrapes and a possible concussion. They would be fine now. He would do it just like James Bond, tuck and roll.

“Chanyeol,” Baekhyun said gently, coming up behind him and placing a small cool hand on Chanyeol’s flushed skin. “Hey, look at me.”

Slowly the taller boy pulled his head back inside the house, eyes roaming over Baekhyun’s calm face.

“It isn’t that bad. Just breathe for five minutes.” Baekhyun stepped into Chanyeol’s arms, placing his head on his chest and squeezing his waist tightly. “And you could give me a kiss. That might help relieve your tension.”

Baekhyun was grinning when Chanyeol looked down at him, his eyes crinkling in a way that shouldn’t have been so attractive but was. He leaned up, quickly connecting their lips and drawing himself as close as possible to the taller boy. Chanyeol melted, the same way he did every time they kissed, his arms settled around the smaller boy’s neck, fingers toying with the hair that curled around the back of his neck, Baekhyun shivered in his arms as Chanyeol’s fingers brushed across his neck.

Chanyeol had no intention of breaking the kiss. If he and Baekhyun could hide out in here, doing exactly this then there was a chance they could survive this night. But of course that wouldn’t be possible. Baekhyun broke away, lips slightly pinker than a minute ago, and began brushing the hair that had fallen out of Chanyeol’s hat back.

It was so calming and reassuring that Chanyeol could feel his eyes drifting shut, body leaning forward into the touch. “See. Just relax.” Baekhyun whispered.

“Hmm,”

Baekhyun drew away with one more kiss on Chanyeol’s nose. Chanyeol flopped back on his freshly made bed (it was only made because Baekhyun was here) and watched as the smaller boy circled the room, his eyes tracing over everything that was on display.

From the posters of bands and movie’s that Chanyeol adored, to the superhero figurines that occupied most of his desk space. Baekhyun paused in front of the small collage of pictures that were pinned above the keyboard. Chanyeol wishes he had taken that down, there were pictures of him and Sehun at music festivals, sweaty bodies squeezed in between thousands of strangers, smiles so wide and cheesy. There were pictures of Chanyeol sitting in a chair, guitar resting on his knees as his fingers brushed over the strings, making the instrument sing. There were baby pictures of Chanyeol, wearing nothing but still smiling with his huge Dumbo ears sticking out from his small head.

As Baekhyun looked at every picture his fingers ran over the black and white keys, not hard enough to make noise. Chanyeol walked up behind Baekhyun, placing a hand on his waist and bending slightly to look at the same picture. One with Chanyeol lying on his back at the beach, arms behind his head, dark sunglasses blocking his eyes from the world, and headphones clamped over his ears, small smile playing slightly on his lips. It had been taken last summer.

“These are great.” Baekhyun said.

Chanyeol shrugged, eyes flicking down to the most recent pictures. The ones that included Baekhyun. As they sat at the bus stop, the light reflecting off of Baekhyun’s pale skin. The two of them lying down on the studio floor, watching themselves in the mirror. Chanyeol blushed as Baekhyun looked at them, fingers dusting lightly over his own face.

“I didn’t know you printed these off.” he said.

“I uh ya. They’re there for when I need inspiration.”

“Inspiration?”

“When I’m working on music.” He pointed to the keyboard.

“Like your own music? Or learning someone else’s?”

“Both.”

“Can I hear?”

Baekhyun turned to look at Chanyeol. “I’m really not that good at composing.”

“I doubt that. Just play me a little bit.” Baekhyun pouted, that puppy dog way that he knew Chanyeol couldn’t resist, eyes widening and lip jutting out.

Without a word Chanyeol pulled the stool out, easily plopping himself in it, Baekhyun sat down beside him, thighs and arms pressed together. Chanyeol had played these keys so many times, his fingers knew them better than his brain, they were molded to only his hands, only he could make them sing the song the perfect way, pairing notes and ordering them in such a way that made it seem like angels were singing.

But now with Baekhyun watching him the keys felt foreign, they were cold under his fingers, traces of Baekhyun lingering on them. There was a song that Chanyeol had been working on, he didn’t have any lyrics, only half the melody but the second his fingers began brushing the keys they immediately began to play the song he had stayed up until three in the morning last night to work on.

Softly Chanyeol hummed along, his deep voice mixing beautifully with the light piano notes. Baekhyun leaned into him, head resting on Chanyeol’s shoulder.

The noise from the kitchen and living room died down, all to hear Chanyeol play. Chanyeol wasn’t confident in many things at life, but his music was one area where he excelled, the one area where he was above average.

When he ran out of notes, fingers stilling over the last keys he pressed Baekhyun looked up at him. “You need to play for me more often.”

“Maybe.”

There wasn’t much more they could do before Chanyeol heard the unmistakable chatter of his family, his mother’s soft voice commanding the others the same way a drill sergeant ordered his troop, his father’s husky voice barking at Kris and cooing at his mother (Chanyeol always gagged when his dad used that voice, it creeped him out). And then above it all was Kris, a mixture of his mother’s sweet twinkle and father’s deep husk. Baekhyun looked from the door to Chanyeol, and Chanyeol hid his face in the smaller boys shoulder.

“I’m so sorry about tonight.” He whispered.

Baekhyun rubbed his back, “Don’t worry about it. This’ll be fun.”

“Oh I highly doubt that.”

Chanyeol could hear Kris’s thundering footsteps as he raced up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He threw the door open without knocking, peeking his head in and grinning at the two boys inside. “Time to come down little brother.” Chanyeol groaned but stood up, Baekhyun following half a step behind. “Doors open when your boyfriend is in your room.”

“No.”

“That was the rule when I had people over,”

“And I saw so many things I never wanted to see.”

Kris laughed. “It was educational.”

“It was scarring.”

Baekhyun chuckled, his fingers brushing against Chanyeol’s. They made their way into the kitchen. The table was already set, people sitting at their respective places, Chanyeol slid into his seat, Baekhyun sitting down beside him, casting a quick glance at the taller boy.

The moment everyone started eating there was a knock on the door. Kris shot out of his chair, saying something that sounded like “took him long enough” when he returned he had Tao in tow.

Tao was good looking. He was a model that was just waiting to be discovered, everything about the boy screamed composure and elegance, the dark gaze would sweep the room, taking in everything and making the person on the receiving end shiver. He was intimidating, as long as he kept his mouth closed. 

Chanyeol saw Baekhyun raise an eyebrow slightly, his eyes sweeping over the tall slender boy standing beside Kris. Chanyeol felt his stomach twisting inside him, and not for the first time he wanted to punch Tao in the face.

It took all of two minutes for Tao to sit down and open his mouth, instantly casting his bad boy image to the side as he told the gathering of people about how bad traffic was. And then Tao squeaked, he actually _squeaked_ when Kris squeezed his knee. Chanyeol rolled his eyes, staring into his bowl and wishing he was anywhere else.

“So Baekhyun,” his mother started to say. “I hear you are in the dance club, along with Chanyeol.” Her eyebrows raised slightly at the end.

“Ya,”

“I’m sorry that you had to see Chanyeol dance.” Kris said.

“He really isn’t that bad. It took him a while but once he started to get the rhythm then he really took off.”

Both Kris and Tao choked on their laughter. “You should show us those amazing moves little brother.” Kris said once he was able to get air back into his lungs.

“No.” Chanyeol said, not looking at anyone. Maybe if he stared into his bowl long enough it would swallow him and take him away from this embarrassing household.

“Oh come on,” everyone began to say, even Baekhyun. Chanyeol was going to kill him later.

“No,” Chanyeol said firmly.

“You big chicken.” Kris said, baiting a line.

“I’m not a chicken.”

“Then why won’t you do it?”

“Because I don’t want to.”

“Bet you won’t do it,”

Chanyeol grit his teeth. He had a weakness for bets, and Kris knew how to use this to his advantage. Too many times had Chanyeol ended up doing something incredibly stupid because Kris laid a five dollar bill on the table. “How much?”

Kris grinned. “Ten bucks.”

“Fine.”

****  

Over the course of a painfully uncomfortable dinner Chanyeol had decided that he hated his entire family. He hated the questions they threw at Baekhyun, he hated the way they joked about Chanyeol as if he wasn’t there, he hated the way Kris was raising an eyebrow at both boys and smirking as if he knew something about them that nobody else knew.

And he especially hated them when Kris took the liberty to turn on the music so Baekhyun and Chanyeol could dance. He hated the way they all sat there on the couch staring up at him and grinning because they knew this was going to be a disaster. Chanyeol couldn’t dance, even with Baekhyun’s help he still wasn’t a good dancer, he was just too tall and awkward. But Kris had bet him, and Chanyeol never turned down money.

The first few beats shook the floor boards, Baekhyun smirked at Chanyeol before taking the first few steps, Chanyeol following behind just like they had practiced a million times. Chanyeol had seen Baekhyun dance, he knew that he moved with a sort of rhythm and fluidity that could only be described as flowing water. His body bent and twisted in perfect time to the music creating the most beautiful show he could. Chanyeol had watched it happen so many times, sometimes getting so absorbed that he forgot he was supposed to be dancing and stood still throwing off everyone else.

Chanyeol had seen himself dance. He knew that he moved with the grace and fluidity of a stick as it fell from twenty feet up, crashing into everything on its journey to the ground, where it would lie for all eternity. He didn’t need Kris and Tao sitting watching him, grinning wide and holding their phones out to videotape the whole thing. He didn’t need his mom focusing solely on Baekhyun so she could say it was good without lying.

“Wow,” Kris gasped as the song faded out and Baekhyun and Chanyeol stopped moving. “That was really something Channie.”

Chanyeol glared at his brother.

“You really have come a long way. Remember when you struggled to do the chicken dance, always forgetting that you had to flap your wings before wiggling your butt?”

“There is a seat in hell reserved for you. And not even the warm part of hell,” Chanyeol grumbled as he made his way to the couch, with Baekhyun close behind.

“It was good.” His mother said. His father said nothing. Tao was hiding behind Kris’s back, but Chanyeol could see his body shaking with laughter.

Once again the room fell silent. When Tao drew himself out from behind Kris he easily slid his hand onto the other boy’s knee, fingers tapping lightly against the jean clad skin before travelling higher up Kris’s thigh. Neither of them blinked an eye. They continued to talk and to listen to the conversation that was going on around Chanyeol.

He wished he could do that to Baekhyun, maybe not grope his thighs, but just be able to place a hand onto Baekhyun just so the world would know that they were each-others. And just because he loved how warm Baekhyun always was.

Chanyeol watched the way his older brother acted with Tao at his side. He saw the way Kris couldn’t look away from more than a few minutes, shooting half smiles and side glances at the giggling boy. Kris didn’t seem to mind the way Tao’s voice grew higher and higher as the night wore on, and he didn’t seem to mind the overly enthusiastic hand gestures that made Tao look like a girl trying to dry the fresh nail polish she had just spent an alarming amount of time putting on.

Chanyeol had always liked Tao, well, until he really began to speak. Tao had the looks of a tortured artist, and the voice of an over excited teenage girl. Chanyeol didn’t understand what was so attractive about that combination but Kris seemed to be head over heels in love with it because he doted on Tao.

They were so easy with one another. Just in the simple movements, and the subtle glances that spoke a thousand words. They made it look so easy, Kris wasn’t blushing as Tao’s hand played with his fingers the same way Chanyeol was. Kris wasn’t avoiding his boyfriend’s eyes the way Chanyeol was. There was a burning in Chanyeol’s gut, the same one that he usually got when he listened to another talented wannabe artist. He wanted nothing more than to be like that. He just wanted to reach out and drape his arm across Baekhyun’s shoulder and pull him close, just like Kris had just done.

The longer Chanyeol watched them the angrier he became at the happy couple, he wanted to throw the ice cubes that sat at the bottom of his drink at them. Or flip them off. The jealously rolled around his stomach like a bowling ball hurtling towards the unsuspecting pins. He only tore his eyes away when Baekhyun’s hand found his and Chanyeol felt his face turn a bright red.

The night wore on, Baekhyun sliding closer and closer to Chanyeol until their sides were completely pressed together, Baekhyun’s head falling onto Chanyeol’s shoulder. Tao was almost in Kris’s lap, the two of them having tuned out of the conversation long ago to whisper nothings into each-others ears.

“Baekhyun you should stay the night.” His mother said.

“Oh no, I don’t want to intrude.”

“It is too late for you to be out on the streets now.”

“No really I’m fine.”

All eyes turned to Chanyeol. His mother narrowing her eyes into a laser that demanded Chanyeol agree with her. Baekhyun’s eyes pleading with him to agree with him. Chanyeol almost told the room that he would walk Baekhyun home, but Baekhyun was so warm against his side, head fit so snugly against his shoulder that Chanyeol wanted to spend all night with him, and to wake up to Baekhyun with a gravelly morning voice. “Stay, Baek. You can stay in my room.”

“Oh well no. he would stay in Kris’s room. No boyfriends allowed in rooms.” His father said.

“But Kris and Tao share a bed all the time.”

“They’re older and have been together longer.”

“Oh come on! He is like three years older than me.”

“Three years makes a big difference.” Kris said.

Baekhyun pressed himself into Chanyeol more, trying to communicate something but all Chanyeol could think of was Baekhyun’s thin fingers playing with his. Chanyeol looked down at the smaller boy, his eyelids were dropping, eyes becoming hazy and unfocused. “Come on, I’ll get you some clothes to change into.” Chanyeol said, tugging the sleepy boy up from the couch.

Baekhyun instantly twisted his fingers with Chanyeol’s as they walked back upstairs. Chanyeol closed his bedroom door tightly behind them. Baekhyun was already sitting on Chanyeol’s bed, head resting on the fluffy pillows and yanking the warm blanket around himself.

Chanyeol slid onto his bed next to him, lying down so they were facing each other. “You tired?” he asked.

Baekhyun nodded, head moving slower than usual. “I want to sleep in here tonight.”

“I want you to sleep in here too.”

Baekhyun shifted, the bed dipping and pitching as he moved into Chanyeol, arm wrapping around his waist and tucking his head under Chanyeol’s chin. For a moment Chanyeol was too shocked to move, nobody had ever cuddled with him like this before, but his arms moved on their own accord, settling around Baekhyun’s neck and shoulder.

“Let’s just stay here and stay really quiet and maybe they’ll forget about us.” Chanyeol whispered. Baekhyun nodded.

They could hear voices from down below, Kris was saying something, and Tao was giggling, there was a moment of silence (Chanyeol figured they had their tongues down each other’s throats) before the conversation started back up again. He could hear the front door squeak open, and then firmly click shut, Tao had left.

For a few minutes they were able to lie in peace, Chanyeol’s mind drifting to a world where he was able to sleep with Baekhyun in his arms all the time, where he could wake up and see Baekhyun grinning up at him. He thought of a world where his family wasn’t embarrassing or weird, where they didn’t feed off of Chanyeol’s pain and uncomfortableness like a vampire fed off blood.

But those peaceful and wonderful thoughts were interrupted by Kris’s heavy footsteps as he walked into the room, throwing the door wide open and letting himself in. “Nope.” Kris said easily, prying Chanyeol’s arm off of his almost asleep boyfriend. “You’re with me Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun mumbled something as he rolled out of the bed. Chanyeol could see the sleep that clung to the small boy, the way his eyelids were dropping, eyes becoming hazy as they looked around the room, easily sliding over Kris to land on Chanyeol.

Baekhyun’s eyes bore into Chanyeol making him shiver and squirm. For as long as Chanyeol could remember nobody had ever looked past Kris to look at Chanyeol. Kris was the tall and mysterious one with the smoldering looks and just the right amount of aloofness and leather jackets that made everyone drawn to him. But Baekhyun didn’t care for it, he looked past the smirking boy and stayed on the slightly blushing and somewhat uncomfortable boy with big ears.

Chanyeol looked away as Baekhyun stared at him, picking a place on the wall behind his head to stare at instead. He could still feel Baekhyun’s eyes boring into him. Chanyeol knew that Baekhyun was trying to tell him something, as he often did at school, but Chanyeol had a hard enough time listening and understanding people when they were talking with their mouths, never mind trying to decipher eye language.

“Come on.” Kris said after a moment. He led both boys from the room, Chanyeol walking beside Baekhyun who slipped his arm around Chanyeol’s waist.

“You get cuddly when you’re tired.” Chanyeol muttered, eyes never leaving Kris’s head. Kris opened his bedroom door, unlike Chanyeol he hadn’t cleaned his room.

Clothes were everywhere, covering the bed and all of the floor making it impossible to walk without getting their feet wrapped up in discarded sweaters and t-shirts. Books were spread out on the desk, taking up all the room and toppling down onto the floor.

“You have been home for like three weeks. How have you made this much mess?” Chanyeol asked, taking a half step away from Baekhyun as he spoke.

Kris shrugged. “I’m just a messy person I guess.”

Kris walked around the room, pushing clothes into the corners and the closet, clearing space for another bed to rest on the floor. When there was enough room Kris bent over and slid a bare mattress out from under his bed, waving his arms gladly, “For you.” he said to Baekhyun before turning to Chanyeol, “Go get some sheets and put them on the bed.”

Chanyeol nodded and did as he was told, grabbing the only set of clean sheets in the linen cupboard. Baekhyun watched as Chanyeol dressed the bed, the taller boy’s cheeks growing redder and redder. “Spiderman?” Baekhyun asked.

“They’re Kris’s.”

Kris snorted. “No they aren’t. Those are yours and you know it.” Chanyeol ducked his head trying to hide his red face and the anger that was written in his face.

“There you go.” He said to Baekhyun after he had nicely made the bed with blankets and pillows. “Do you need anything else?”

Baekhyun shook his head. “No I’m ok.”

“Alright then. Well uh, goodnight I guess.” Chanyeol said, awkwardly backtracking out of the room, half waving to Baekhyun.

“Night Chanyeol.” The smaller was able to get in before Chanyeol closed the door tightly.

When he was back in his room Chanyeol flopped down on his bed, still warm from where they were lying before, and hid his face in the pillows as he groaned.

“He is going to break up with me tomorrow. This is horrible. I am going to kill them all. Why couldn’t I have been an orphan? It would have been so much easier.”

Baekhyun was so far out of Chanyeol’s league that he needed to save face as much as he could, he needed to pretend for five minutes that he was somewhat cool in order to keep Baekhyun. Because people like Baekhyun didn’t date people like Chanyeol, Sehun had been kind enough to tell Chanyeol that within the first few days of them getting together.

“What does he see in you?” Sehun’s voice rang in Chanyeol’s head, hitting the side of his skull and creating another annoying voice saying, “What does he see in you?” over and over until Chanyeol was sure he was going to go insane.

With a heavy sigh and an even heavier body Chanyeol hauled himself up from his bed, plopped down in front of his keyboard and began to play, music ringing through the headphones he had plugged in to keep from waking the entire house. He played the same piece he had played for Baekhyun, although now the notes took a different tune, they had lost the subtle pining that had been hidden in it before, instead they sang of happier times. 

Chanyeol played and played until his fingers ached, cramping from the constant use. Only when he was sure the song was done, the words and music blending together perfectly to make the sweetest song he had ever made Chanyeol retired to his bed.

Body exhausted, but longing for Baekhyun just down the hall. He lied there, tossing and turning, waiting for sleep that he knew wasn’t going to come. Chanyeol’s brain was alive, replaying the entire night, focusing on the way Baekhyun had smiled at him, and the way Baekhyun’s hands felt in his, the way Baekhyun felt tucked into his side.

Chanyeol was lazily running his hand down his side, feeling the invisible marks Baekhyun had left on his skin, the ones only Chanyeol would ever know are there, when there was a soft knock at the door. He half sat up in bed as Baekhyun pushed the door open and stepped into the room.

“Hey.” Chanyeol said, sitting up the rest of way.

“Hey.”

“What’re you doing here?”

“Kris fell asleep,” was the only explanation he offered.

Chanyeol watched as Baekhyun stepped into the room, shutting the door quietly and crossing the room to stand beside Chanyeol’s bed. Words were not a thing that Chanyeol understood at that moment. He just stared up at Baekhyun, eyes raking over the tiny frame he had stared at for so many house before, enjoying the way the track pants that were made for someone almost twice his size hung off of his hips, revealing the waistband of a pair of boxers. He stared at the plump pink lips that were just begging to be kissed.

“Can I sleep in here?” Baekhyun asked, feet shuffling on the floor.

“Of course.” Chanyeol moved over to accommodate the smaller boy. Baekhyun slid into the bed, body shimmying under the covers and pulling them tightly to his side before curling into Chanyeol’s side, forehead resting against Chanyeol’s chest and legs twisting with Chanyeol’s. The two boys melted into one, losing the lines of where one started and the other stopped, their breaths mixing into one steady beat that even the sea would have been jealous of.

Baekhyun’s fingers played with Chanyeol’s shirt, working under the fabric and kneading the lean muscle underneath. Chanyeol draped his arms around Baekhyun, one hand playing the hair at the back of his neck, the other one tracing lazy circles into Baekhyun’s side.

“This is nice.” Baekhyun said.

“Mm,” Chanyeol hummed, eyes drifting shut as sleep finally began to settle over him.

Baekhyun continued to massage Chanyeol, cool hands running along the burning hot skin leaving fires in their wake. Chanyeol’s entire body was on fire, Baekhyun’s hand were the matches and Chanyeol’s skin was the paper.

“Hey Chanyeol,”

“Hmm?”

“Are you really allergic to bees?”

Chanyeol’s eyes flew open. “What did he tell you?”

“He told me that one time at the park you stuck your hand in a beehive because he bet you a Popsicle that you couldn’t hold your arm there.”

Chanyeol groaned. “Ya, uh that happened.”

“And he told me about the time you went to the beach and somehow managed to get caught in the buoys and had to have the lifeguards cut you out.”

“That also happened.”

“And he may have said something about swinging from your grandmother’s chandelier wearing nothing but a pair of boxers and a pink housecoat while you sang My Heart Will Go On.”

Chanyeol groaned, he was sure his face was so hot it was going melt right off his skull. “I’m going to kill him.”

Baekhyun laughed, belly shaking against Chanyeol and making his skin tingle. “Ok but do it in the morning, I am too comfy for you to move.”

And Chanyeol had to agree. He fell in love with the way Baekhyun was wrapped around Chanyeol the same way bacon engulfed tiny pieces of sausages at every single wedding. In moments he was addicted to the feeling of Baekhyun’s breath fanning across his chest and making the skin ripple before springing up in goose bumps.

But most of all he loved the feeling of Baekhyun whispering sweet words and pressing sleep warmed lips to Chanyeol’s mouth once before settling back down and drifting off to a place where dreams seemed real and the stars were something that you only had to stretch out to reach...

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> let me know what you think. i really like this and might continue it


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